Avs plan to draft best forward, defenseman available with No. 10 pick

The Avs expect to get a good player at No. 10 overall, like they did last year, when they selected Mikko Rantanen. (Brent Lewis / The Denver Post)

DENVER — Among the top-10 selections in last year's NHL draft, forward Mikko Rantanen and four others went on to make their NHL debuts during the 2015-16 season. Rantanen, who surprisingly fell to 10th before the Avalanche quickly plucked him off the board, dressed in nine NHL games and would have played a lot more if the team was willing to burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

The Avs again have the No. 10 pick this year and again expect to get a good player when the first round of the NHL draft begins June 24 in Buffalo. That player probably won't be as good as Rantanen — an American Hockey League all-star who led San Antonio in scoring and is expected to play a full season with Colorado in 2016-17 — but there's a handful of guys who have the ability to play in the NHL within two years at the No. 10 slot.

"We're definitely expecting to get a good player," Alan Hepple, the Avs' director of amateur scouting, said in a phone interview. "Obviously there's the top three everybody is talking about but after that there are good players. We always seem to get some surprises in the top 10 — just like we did last year that allowed us to get Rantanen — and I don't see anything different this year that's going to stop us to get a good player at 10."

If the Avs don't trade their first-round pick, they will take a forward or defenseman at No. 10. Hepple wouldn't completely rule out taking a goalie, but there are none ranked that high.

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According to The Hockey News, the top forwards who might be available at No. 10 are Canadians Alexander Nylander (a longshot like Rantanen a year ago), Michael McLeod and Tyson Jost; and Americans Clayton Keller, Max Jones and Logan Brown. The top defensemen in that No. 10 slot are Olli Juolevi of Finland, Russia's Mikhail Sergachev and Canadian/American dual citizen Jakob Chychrun. The Hockey News' list was based on the top prospects and not a team's need, thus it wasn't a mock draft.

Hepple confirmed that the Avs will select the best player available at No. 10, regardless of position.

"That's safe to say, at 10th. There's guys at both position," Hepple said. "When we were at Denver a couple weeks ago and had a meeting, we talked about the best player available ... but just probably not (a goalie). I don't think there's any goalie that would be in that top 10. Somebody could prove me wrong, but I don't think so."

In addition to No. 10, the Avs have the 40th, 101st, 161st and 191st picks.

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